Hot points. For the Milan, called to win with Lecce to secure second place (and remove Inter's Scudetto), but above all to Roma e Lazio, expected from a Derby who could decide the Champions race. The 31st matchday, which began yesterday with the draw between Salernitana and Sassuolo (2-2), comes to life with a Saturday divided between Milan and Rome, without forgetting the very important salvation-Europe clash between Empoli and Turin. San Siro and the Olimpico are thus preparing for a day of passion, all just a few days before the first act of the "international derby" which will involve the Rossoneri and Giallorossi.
Rome – Lazio (18pm, Dazn)
The ranking would require us to start from Milan-Lecce, but the highlight of the day (football, of course) is without a doubt Roma-Lazio. The 183rd Capital derby in history (the 160th in Serie A) does not offer any trophies, yet its importance is very high and the city rivalry, although deeply felt, has something to do with it up to a certain point. Both are chasing a place in the Champions League which would change their future prospects, but only whoever wins today will have concrete hopes of achieving it: the third way, i.e. a draw, would be of little use to both of them, even if it would go better for Roma than for Lazio. Paradoxically, however, the Giallorossi have the greatest amount of pressure, partly because the Biancocelesti now have little to lose, a lot due to their recent precedents, so negative that they even undermined Mourinho's bench. The Special One seemed untouchable, then came the defeat in the Italian Cup derby and the scenarios were reversed: the rest is recent history, with the arrival of De Rossi and the sensational ride of 7 wins, 2 draws and only one defeat in 10 games. DDR, as we will see shortly, absolutely needs to break the negativity of the last derbies, given that Roma have only collected one point in the last four, without scoring a single goal (if they didn't manage to do so today either, it would be a negative record). Lazio, for its part, seems to have a little less pressure, if only because Sarri's resignation brought forward the start of the new course, entrusted to Tudor regardless of what happens at the end of the season. Of course, finishing on a high note would help us get off to a better start, furthermore the Croatian coach doesn't want to spoil his debut in the derby with a defeat...
De Rossi: "There is a desire for revenge after the last derbies, but clarity is needed"
“Differences between a derby as a coach and one as a player? Honestly, it changes – explained De Rossi -. I remember with pleasure the fact that I suffered from it in the first years, I entered the pitch tense, then I became good at managing it, it's an advantage of age, today I'm quite calm. The boys are approaching it well, they work well, they are calm: we are charging it at the right point, but without exaggerating. We have a not positive past in recent derbies, there is a desire for revenge, but without going any further, we must remain clear-headed. We have little time to make hypotheses about Lazio, we focus on ourselves, knowing however the playing philosophy of Tudor and knowing that he won't play for 90 minutes like his Verona did, because it takes time. My future? We talked about that very often with the owners of Rome, therefore in the short term. The national team break helped us make ends meet and think about the next two months, which is the most important thing at the moment."
Tudor: “The derby is very popular, but don't lose your head”
“The derby is a very heartfelt match, but we have to use our heads and go fast – underlined Tudor -. I've done some derbies with other clubs, I've always liked these matches, they're different from the others: they have to be prepared in the best possible way, even if you can't escape the emotions. What do I expect from the team? There were these three games in seven days and few training sessions, but we can work on a little something. I have seen more positive than negative things against it Juve, we are on the right path, interpreted in the best way by the players, I see them very convinced in what we do. L'derby atmosphere?I didn't even go to the center except for dinner, I'm quite isolated here in Formello. However, I understand the importance of the race for the city and I want to experience it in the right way, I can't wait for it to start."
Roma – Lazio, the probable lineups
Rome (4-3-3): Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Llorente, Spinazzola; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; Dybala, Lukaku, El Shaarawy
Trainer: The Rossi
Disqualified: Ndicka
Unavailable: Azmoun
Lazio (3-4-2-1): Mandas; Patric, Romagnoli, Gila; Marusic, Guendouzi, Cataldi, Felipe Anderson; Kamada, Luis Alberto; Motionless
Trainer: Tudor
Disqualified: no
Unavailable: Provedel, Rovella, Zaccagni, Lazzari
Milan – Lecce (15pm, Dazn)
The other big match this Saturday will be at San Siro, where Pioli's Milan will be looking for their seventh consecutive victory between the championship and Europa League. The match against Lecce, on paper, shouldn't be too complicated for the Devil, as long as they don't underestimate it. The Giallorossi, in fact, have already demonstrated against Roma that they can put the big teams in difficulty, furthermore the upcoming European derby could affect both the head and the legs. But the Rossoneri don't want to make a misstep right now, especially since... Inter's Scudetto is at stake. It's not a question of trying to challenge him, but rather of delaying it: only by winning today and next Sunday against Sassuolo, in fact, would Pioli guarantee himself two results out of three to avoid the celebration in the derby on 22 April, moreover in front of his own fans. All the more reason to do well, even if the hunt for second place should be enough as a stimulus: the Rossoneri coach has regained positions and his confirmation seems increasingly likely, but as always the results will have the last word. However, the Europa League remains the primary objective, so it is certain that these two matches with Lecce and Sassuolo will see a bit of turnover, with a few more pitfalls than is legitimate. However, Milan in recent times have shown that they know how to win even by rotating men, by virtue of an infirmary that has finally been emptied (only Kalulu, Pobega and Thiaw remain unavailable) and a top physical condition, which allows us to dream of a final of season lived up to expectations.
Pioli: “We arrive at the decisive period with Leao at the top, but we only think about Lecce”
“We arrive at the important period of the season in good mental and playing conditions, this year we have never managed to win five games in a row and we must try to do so – confirmed Pioli -. We face a team that hasn't conceded a goal since the change of coach and has put Roma in difficulty, we'll have to be careful. Not having stops or problems during the week allows you to have a great condition, but this also depends on the mental aspect and now we are fine. The championship is still long and the end will decide certain situations, but we arrive at the most important moment of the season with Leao in excellent condition. I'm happy with what he's doing, he knows that he has to continue like this and grow further. The concentration is only on tomorrow's match, if there are any changes they will be linked to someone's condition and the disqualification of Loftus-Cheek, certainly not because we are thinking about Roma: we have to give continuity to the results, so I will field the best team."
Milan – Lecce, the probable lineups
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Adli, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Giroud
Trainer: Pioli
Disqualified: Loftus Cheek
Unavailable: Pobega, Kalulu, Thiaw, Mirante
Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcon; Gendrey, Pongracic, Baschirotto, Gallo; Blin, Ramadani; Banda, Gonzalez, Dorgu; Krstovic
Trainer: Gotti
Disqualified: no
Unavailable: Brancolini, Dermaku, Kaba
